As of September 2026, the FDA and the EMA have not approved MOTS-c, and no human trial of it has been published. Almost all the evidence comes from mice and cell cultures. WADA added it to its Prohibited List starting in 2024. It is marketed informally through wellness clinics as a research peptide. What a vial sold that way holds is something you cannot check by looking.
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What is MOTS-c?
MOTS-c is a very short chain of 16 amino acids that mitochondria, small parts inside cells, can make from their own DNA. A research team led by Changhan Lee at USC discovered it in 2015. It is marketed informally through wellness clinics as a research peptide, and it is not a recognized medical treatment.
Does MOTS-c work?
Nobody knows. No human trial has been published, and almost all the evidence comes from studies in mice and cell cultures.
What we found. 0 completed randomized trials. No peer-reviewed, controlled human trial results found in the record's search. 2 rows of mouse and cell studies.
| Study | Tested in | Status | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original discovery study, in mice and cell lines | Animals | Completed | First description of MOTS-c as a peptide that comes from mitochondria. It reported metabolic effects in mice and activation of a cell pathway that senses energy |
| Follow-up mouse studies at USC on obesity and exercise | Animals | Completed | Reported better insulin sensitivity, less diet-induced obesity and more exercise capacity in mice |
| Human clinical trials | People | None found, and none registered as completed | No peer-reviewed, controlled human trial results were found in the record's search |
These are findings in mice and cells. What they mean for people is unknown.
How we count a trialIs MOTS-c safe?
Nobody knows. No published human trial has established its safety in people. The mouse studies on this record measured metabolism and exercise, and the record lists no safety results from them. WADA added MOTS-c to its Prohibited List in spite of the lack of human safety data. So the compound is one unknown. What is sold as MOTS-c is a second, and the vial section covers it.
Is MOTS-c legal?
- United States
- Not approved by the FDA. No human clinical trial data have been published.
- European Union
- No marketing authorisation from the EMA.
- Sport
- Banned in sport. WADA added MOTS-c to its Prohibited List starting in 2024.
- Medical use
- Not a recognized medical treatment. It is marketed informally through wellness clinics as a research peptide.
Not medical advice. Approval and sport status as of . Medical disclaimer
What is in a vial sold as MOTS-c?
MOTS-c is marketed informally through wellness clinics as a research peptide. No human trial of it has been published, so no vial of it has a published trial behind it. A "research use only" label guarantees nothing about purity. A certificate of analysis counts only if it names your lot number, a lab with no stake in the result, and the method used. Purity and identity are separate tests.
Three questions to ask the seller:
- Which lot number is this certificate for?
- Who ran the test, and are they independent of you?
- Does the report confirm identity by mass spectrometry, or purity alone?
What don't we know?
- Whether it does anything in people. No human trial has been published.
- Whether it is safe in people. Human safety data are lacking.
- Whether the mouse results on insulin and exercise carry over to people.
- What is in any given vial sold as MOTS-c.
The other side
A personal result is real to the person who had it. With no published human trial to set beside it, it cannot show what the compound did and what the vial held.
What would change this record?
- A registered, peer-reviewed Phase 1 trial in people, published, that measures safety and how the body handles the compound.
Three questions to ask next
- What does 'research use only' actually mean?
- How can you tell if a peptide vendor is legitimate?
- How do you read a certificate of analysis?
Ask better questions.
More questions about MOTS-c
Is MOTS-c approved by the FDA?
- No. MOTS-c has no approval from the FDA or the EMA, and it is not a recognized medical treatment.
Is MOTS-c banned in sport?
- Yes. WADA added MOTS-c to its Prohibited List starting in 2024. The record's source for that is a secondary site. If you compete, check the current List.
Has MOTS-c been tested in humans?
- Not in any published trial this record found. Its search found no peer-reviewed, controlled human trial results, and no trial registered as completed.
Why is MOTS-c banned in sport with no published human trials?
- This record gives no reason. It says only that WADA added MOTS-c to its Prohibited List starting in 2024, despite the lack of human safety data.
What did MOTS-c do in mice?
- In mouse studies it appeared to switch on a cell pathway that senses energy. Follow-up studies reported better insulin sensitivity, less diet-induced obesity and more exercise capacity in mice. Nobody knows whether any of that holds in people.
Record checked on . Each source shows the date it was checked.
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